


31 Days of Arcana Ships

by eclipseblessed



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Autumn, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Self-Indulgent, the tags in this work will just keep increasing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-15 02:00:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20858372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eclipseblessed/pseuds/eclipseblessed
Summary: I gave myself a challenge: each day of October, I’ll be posting a one-shot with different ships between OCs and Love Interests- the prompts are related to fall.- Tonatiuh.





	1. Asraiden: Pumpkin Picking

### October 1st: Asraiden and Pumpkin Picking.

  
The time of harvest has begun, both Jaiden and Asra know this, they have been planning to prepare a nice treat for themselves as a way of celebrating the change of seasons. Asra had suggested going out to pick the perfect pumpkin for their little festivity- Jaiden had taken care of the rest of the information they needed to know where to go. Hand in hand, they made their way to the pumpkin patch they had chosen.

“Come on, Asra!” Jaiden, like always, went ahead and expressed the amount of energy he had within himself by gently tugging on the magician’s hand. “Cottoooon, cloudy! Let’s go, let’s go!” He kept going, olive curly hair flowing and bouncing freely thanks to the autumn air passing by them. Asra chuckled and went behind his lover, allowing himself to be guided.

“It’s still early, Jaiden!” There was no need to rush, they had all day to get their things done- but he thought it was cute for Jaiden to be so enthusiastic about spending time together. Asra had also been making a mental list of things he might need to buy to refill his stock- his attention was somewhat divided, but his significant other managed to pull him back.

“Cloud, we won’t get there in time if we don’t hurry!” Cue another light tug at Asra’s hand- a barely noticeable pout drawing on the artificer’s features.

Finally, accompanied by the wind and cloudiness of the day, the two of them kept walking past shops and buildings until they got to an emptier area- it didn’t take them long to find the pumpkin patch they had been talking about, the deep and warm oranges in the distance had a great contrast against the cloudy sky. Jaiden was almost bouncing on the spot, turning to look at Asra’s purple eyes and unconsciously calling onto his magic, the sun mark on his shoulder blade glowing softly and activating the effect that made his eyes match the sky color.

“Look!” The older one beamed, letting go of his significant other’s hand and getting closer to the patch, excitement being al too obvious to try and hide- it’s not the first time he’d be doing something like this, but having Asra be there was enough to make it feel like an entirely unfamiliar experience.

Of course Asra didn’t stay behind for too long, he caught up and wrapped an arm around Jaiden’s waist- bringing him closer and placing a kiss on his cheek, smiling softly. Having fun when they were together was easy, it was almost as if all worries had gone away and they were living in their own little world, away from everything and everyone- Jaiden returned the affection and playfully ruffled Asra’s hair. The two of them have been together for a while and, moreover, they are known for being quite the playful pair- when they shared a room, laughter was guaranteed.

Getting their attention back to where it needed to be, they returned to the task at hand and went on walking until they were right at the patch. Asra was the one to move ahead and start checking the pumpkins, their color, shape, texture, size and maturity- though the magician was also extending his skill to sense which ones were calling for them and which ones didn’t feel ready, it was an added detail that they liked to take care of when choosing something.

Jaiden looked at him curiously, knowing what he was doing and noticing how his lover looked so… in his zone, that kind of fascination that made him realize he had fallen in love with him in the first place is what he was feeling- and he wasn’t subtle about it, his eyes reflecting exactly what his heart was saying and getting a hopeful and loving glow to them.

Asra kept on looking and comparing the plants, only noticing and feeling the stare after a couple of minutes- his eyes went up and met with Jaiden’s, becoming aware of all the attention that was being put on him in a second. “What are you doing, Jai?” He looks away, feeling a soft blush staining his cheeks, he usually wasn’t embarrassed by being stared at… but Jaiden had a really specific expression of wonder and admiral that always got to him.

Clouded eyes returned to their natural jade color, blinked and fluttered shut with a bright smile Jaiden gave, leaving the question unanswered as he crouched down to aid his lover in the search of the perfect pumpkin. Though, the activity quickly grew a bit tedious and boring for him, he lost focus after trying to remain still for more than he was able to- Jaiden took one of the ones he was looking at- picked it up and lifted it just enough to cover his own face with it.

“Arrrgh! I’m the Pumpkin Monster!” Jaiden chimed, getting Asra’s attention and an amused look that he couldn’t quite see, given the position he was in. “I’ll trap you for coming to get my kind!” He lowers his voice just enough to make it obvious he was pretending, exaggerating the words as they came out of him.

“Oh? And just what is the Pumpkin Monster capable of?” Asra asks, returning to his chore and lacing a teasing tone to his words- raising an eyebrow and moving his hands from one plant to the other, checking what needed to be checked.

“I’ll make you go through tickle hell!” Jaiden pops his head from behind the plant and grins- placing the pumpkin down on the ground again and getting dangerously close to Asra, who stood up once he saw Jaiden approaching and exited the patch before they could ruin anything. He went after him, shouting some ridiculous made-up threats about how he would be tickled until the month ended in revenge, only getting chuckles and soft laughs from Asra in return.

The chasing scene comes to an end once Jaiden manages to catch the magician, they stumble and fall on the ground- the artificer being quick enough to turn them around and make Asra fall on top of him so he wouldn’t get hurt at all. Once they were down, Jaiden effortlessly flipped them over and began tickling Asra mercilessly, wanting to hear his laugh and giggles- wanting to see his face flush and him being happy.

It wouldn’t quite be like them to let this be one-sided, Asra fought back and the two of them were struggling to remain in control of the situation- rolling on the grass and getting dried autumn leaves stuck in their curly locks until the two of them were out of breath.

Their breathings ragged and without any rhythm, the two of them laid on the grass while being in each other’s arms- the day was still young and they still had many things to do… but for now, they could stay like this and enjoy their moment of happiness together.

“We really should go pick that pumpkin.” Asra suggests.

“We really should, let’s go! Last one to get there, loses!” Jaiden jumps to his feet and runs away.


	2. Laedia and Autumn Leaves

### October 2nd: Laedia and Autumn Leaves.

  
Strolls around the palace gardens were something they had grown used to since they met each other- they would be so caught up in their conversation they wouldn’t notice they had already passed by the same spot a couple of times. Nadia holding onto Laegjarn’s arm and walking beside the taller man, lost in thought or lost in the green of his eyes- he would always tell her such interesting stories! It was hard to keep up with what was happening around them.

Their walk had taken them to the garden, the fresh and chilly wind coming to let their clothes flow elegantly, Laegjarn’s cape moving so freely with the air added some heroism to the tales he would tell and the stories he would go over- Nadia’s purple hair flew gracefully and made the two of them look distant from everyone else, like they didn’t quite belong… or more like the rest of the world didn’t belong where they stood.

The elongated walls made of vines and bushes of the maze were enough to be covering them with fallen leaves whenever a particularly strong wind passed by and rustled them. Laegjarn, chivalrous as he is, always covered the countess so nothing ever came her way or landed on her- he did it more mindlessly and out of instinct more than anything else, being a father of four truly left him with some habits that he couldn’t shake… like protecting from harmless “threats” and covering the person next to him from what the wind blew.

Every now and then, in the middle of the conversation, Nadia would switch languages and keep talking to her lover, words dancing effortlessly between the two of them and the conversation going without any interruption. Looking at them from afar, one could think that the two of them were unapproachable, their elegance combined and made the two of them stand out more- even if they didn’t pay attention to their surroundings, their surroundings couldn’t help but look at them… no one would have guessed that, upon coming closer, one could overhear what they were saying.

“It truly wasn’t that bad, you see- that’s when a friend of mine swooped right in to help me out right before anything could get to me!” Laegjarn chuckled, smiling at Nadia and taking in the sight of her amused face- it truly was the best thing there was. “That was a way to learn that we weren’t supposed to be there, haha! I made sure to tell everyone else knew before we got into more trouble- but it was still fun!” Finally, he got Nadia to laugh and that was enough to know that he would be fine for the rest of the day- there was something about her laughter that made him weak on his knees.

“My, my! You sure happen to know how to get in dire situations, beloved. I wonder how you managed to keep yourself out of danger for more than a couple of weeks?” Nadia asks, placing a hand on his arm and giving it a light squeeze- it was normal for the two of them to spend hours chatting and getting to know each other, they quite liked it too.

But they were interrupted by something falling straight on Nadia’s head- from one of the tall trees that raised and stood before them, a couple of dried autumn leaves that cut her speech short and caught her off-guard. Laegjarn was slow to react, moving too late and not achieving his goal- once he realized this he let his head go down bashfully, reaching to brush them off.

“Thank you, how kind.” Nadia never stopped smiling, finding her man’s reactions humorous, gently running her hand from his arm to his cheek and leaving it there to reassure him. Laegjarn was quick to go back to his usual cheerful self- although a bit of embarrassment from the affection did manage to slip by and get to him, knowing Nadia was only this openly affectionate when the two of them were on their own- the garden gave them that space.

They were to continue with their walk when Laegjarn’s eyes scanned the grass beneath their feet- his smile widening and the energy around him beginning to beam- he turns and tilts his head, silently asking the countess to stay where was while he went to do something, it was his way of signaling that he wouldn’t take long.

Nadia stayed in place and eyed him curiously, Laegjarn seemed enthusiastic about something but she couldn’t quite tell what it was- that was, until the man stepped on a dried leaf and caused it to make a loud noise… and he did it again, hopping and landing on different spots with leaves to get them to make noise- laughing a bit to himself whenever he got a particularly satisfying result. Once he seemed done, he returned and bowed to apologize for taking so long, Nadia raised an eyebrow and went back to hooking her arm around Laegjarn’s.

“What… was that, Laegjarn?” She asks, her voice not sounding demeaning, no… it was genuine curiosity and surprise- she had never seen him do something like this before.  
Laegjarn acquires a faint blush and scratches the back of his head with his free hand, unsure of what words to use to begin explaining what he had done or the reasoning behind it- he thinks for a second, nervously fidgeting and looking away. “You see, my children enjoy doing things like this! They get very excited for autumn and they ask me to accompany them on their walks so they can entertain themselves- in all honesty, I do think it’s fun. It’s a break from stress.” He closes his eyes and thinks of how much fun his kids must be having with this- Jaiden is probably the happiest.

“Ah… I had never seen this.” Nadia admits- she usually spent her fall afternoons reading by the fire and having tea, the peace and quiet this season brought usually were perfect moments to get a good amount of reading done. But Laegjarn’s vitality made her curious- he noticed, extended his hand and got himself to look at her in the eye without feeling too embarrassed.

“You could try…Nadi, you could find some fun in it.”

“I… “ a pause, the countess looked around the place and made sure there was nobody there. “I suppose… one try wouldn’t hurt.” Nadia took his hand and received a reassuring squeeze- allowing the tall man to guide her to the nearest leaves, carefully stepping on them and hearing the crackling noise happen beneath her feet. The first few times, she took shy and experimental steps- it took her a bit to warm up to the activity, seeing how Laegjarn seemed to be having fun- it was somewhat contagious for her.

One, two, three- one, two, three and repeat, they set up a steady rhythm and soon they were sharing a dance with no music. The only noises they had were the chirping of birds, the rustling of trees and the crunches that filled the spots of silence that had tried to remain- it did clash against the graceful dancing and twirling, but it had managed to get the two of them to be laughing and enjoying themselves.

“Have you been practicing your ballroom dancing? Your form has improved immensely.” She comments, not losing her focus and taking the lead when she felt he was starting to lose it or about to take the wrong step- if anything, this was good practice for later and dancing with him always was good at lifting her spirits.

“I have, you could say that! I’m mostly just trying to get things right- wouldn’t want to ruin my dearest’s grace by making a mistake, you know.” He jokes- this wasn’t the type of thing we was used to, but he would always be willing to make an extra effort to learn if it meant Nadia was happy. “I’ve also had the chance to observe Julian and Eros dancing- that doctor’s quite good! He taught my son in no time- it’s only natural I picked up some things.”

Although there were no instruments to accompany them and they were being reminded of their rhythm by hearing the fallen leaves indicate it- they seemed to be completely synchronized.

Their stamina lasted long but there was no way to deny they were starting to become a bit exhausted- even if Laegjarn had allowed himself to get lost in Nadia’s beauty he could feel he would be in need of a break sooner or later. One last move and the two of them bowed to finish their dance, looking happy and more relaxed than before- truly, these gardens always managed to surprise them in one way or another- this palace had a lot of secrets and curious things and that always gave them a new place to bond and be closer to each other.

“So!” Laegjarn breaks the silence, grinning and placing one hand on Nadia’s shoulder- “did you have fun, dearest?”

“Of course I did.” Followed by her pressing a kiss to his cheek, then linking arms once more and taking a deep breath before directing her gaze at the garden before them.

“Let’s go have tea, Nadi- I just thought of another story I can tell you!”

Maybe Autumn did have fun and joy hidden in the little things, maybe there was something special about the most mundane details of it- good thing they have time to find more of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our apprentices have an adoptive father, Laegjarn- and he's actually really cute with Nadia. It's my first time writing for the two of them so it felt a bit odd- but I'm trying my best to keep my writing quality and so- I really want to finish this challenge, so I'll be putting a lot of effort into it.
> 
> **\- Tonatiuh.**


	3. Cats and Dogs & Scary Stories

### October 3rd: Cats & Dogs & Scary stories.

  
“It’s not that scary!” Lucio chimes, wanting to spend some extra time with Luna and tell fun stories- his plan was shaped more like this: he would tell scary stories and the moment a noise happened, she would jump in his arms and he would be there to hold her and tell her everything would be alright, that nothing could hurt her while he was there! But he didn’t really think about the possibility of Portia having the same plan as him.

So they were there, sitting on the bed with the lights off and a thunderstorm on the back to add to the eerie ambiance they had tried so hard to create- Luna in the center, like always, with the count and the maiden to either side of her. Portia was barely scared of anything- she would be willing to punch a ghost if she had to! She had no problem with that, but for some reason some of the stories they were telling had got really close to getting her uneasy- probably the amount of detail and effort being put into the story telling.

“M-maybe they’re a little… startling, no?” Luna answers, holding a pillow close to herself and squeezing her eyes shut for a moment- truth be told, she wasn’t easily scared… but she was significantly less courageous than the two companions she had for the night, at least in this sense. Luna looked at Portia, then at Lucio, waiting to see who wanted to tell the next story- Portia seemed to get on Luna’s side and went ahead to tell one of the many tales she had heard when she travelled the seas.

“I heard the story of a man that asks for the time to those that linger around some places late at night.” Portia pushed some of her curly red hair back so it didn’t cover her face- putting her hands up to add some drama to the story. “They say that, if you answer his question- he will slay you right there and then!” The trademark smug smile on her face came back, trying to regain her composure to make Luna feel safer and more secure. “The only way to save yourself from this man is saying you don’t know the time! The catch is: nobody knows how he looks!”

“So you say he just goes to kill random people without a reason?” Lucio interrupts, raising an eyebrow and pouting visibly- like he was complaining that there was nothing else to the story.

Portia rolls her eyes and gives an exasperated sigh- “Reminds me of someone, y’know.” She turns to face Luna and gives a warm smile, hopefully that had been enough of a break so the witch felt more comfortable with continuing with their little story exchange.

Luna furrows her brow at their little fight and decides to interfere with a story of her own- she shifts in her seat and makes herself comfortable again, resting against some cushions and taking in a deep breath to fully be in character. “I have one, hear me out.” Both Count and maiden turned and looked directly at her, forgetting about their little quarrel to pay attention to Luna.

“I heard this story many years ago!” She began and summoned a bit of her magic to cast a little light to add to the drama of the whole scene- “It’s the tale of a woman! She is said to roam near rivers and alleyways- she mourns her children and she’s been looking for them for centuries!” Luna’s expression turns a bit somber- the reasoning was always a bit painful to remember and tell to those who haven’t heard the story already.

It didn’t take long for her to be fully focused on telling the tale and her two companions were both very interested in her way of telling the story- Luna’s usual cheery and lovely voice had taken a darker tone, she sounded sad when she told the story and… her expression did help the narrative. Luna took her time telling every little detail that they needed to fully understand what had happened that fateful day.

The longer they spent listening to her talk, the closer they got to her, not looking away and not even minding the fact that they almost touched each other- what mattered right now was Luna and what she was saying. The storm going off outside of the room they were in had intensified, lightning and thunder were showing up every few minutes to remind them that it was still happening- sometimes getting all of them to jump lightly and let out a little yelp of surprise.

“And so they say… she roams and mourns for her kids’ disappearance- she takes children away from their parents if they are walking on their own during the night time!” Luna raises her voice and she stands a little- “she weeps for them each and every night, a soul-crushing cry of desperation and grief that can paralyze you with fear! If you hear her, you will be able to feel all the years of mourning and sadness she has felt- all the despair!” Luna starts to lower her voice, almost a hush now that forced Portia and Lucio to get even nearer- their cheeks almost touching as they wanted to catch her last words.

“Who knows, maybe you could hear her… we live near a lot of water!” The witch shrugs- wanting to leave the story with an uneasy ending but not really expecting Lucio and Portia to believe her or to be so touched by the story she told. The three of them allowed the silence to reign as the count and the handmaiden took in the words and let the tale sink in properly- processing such a painful tale that ended with a supernatural result wasn’t always all that easy.

Their moment of peace was interrupted by the sound of soft footsteps- coming from outside of the room, something dragging behind whoever was walking and a light hint of a metallic sound accompanying it. It interrupted their thoughts and they all looked at each other in a bit of panic- not knowing what it could be and not knowing where it was heading.

“What the hell is that?!” Lucio gives a nervous chuckle- approaching to get in front of Luna and Portia so he was the nearest one to the door, if anything happened- he would at least be the first to attack and be ready to defend.

Portia noticed Lucio was getting ready to defend and got in a similar position than him- nothing could get past her and of course she could protect Luna on her own! Though… the whole room’s energy did shift into a tenser one, giving a hint that the three of them were uneasy and not knowing what to expect. More footsteps- they were getting louder and closer, a dry thump right outside of the door and some complaining.

The hairs on the back of their head were already doing a good job at standing up- the tension building on their shoulders was already great and too noticeable. Luna hid behind Lucio and Portia, clinging to their arms and hoping to get some sort of comfort and sense of security that would tell her she wouldn’t have a bad experience- a shout that echoed through the hall outside the door and another loud thump had their hearts beating loud enough for it to be noticeable.

Something began to pad at and toy with the doorknob- as if whatever was outside knew it could open it but couldn’t quite reach well enough to open in one swift movement. Another shout and another thump with more footsteps, the metallic drag made itself audible again- Portia got ready to deliver a good punch and Lucio was scanning the room for some sort of weapon, but could rely on his gauntlet if he really needed to.

Another padding that made a soft noise at the knob and finally, the door opened too quickly for them to see what was happening- the three of them instinctively reaching out to hold each other and keep a protective embrace, the two ladies letting out a scared squeal as Lucio struggled to pull himself together to fight- but it was far too difficult having Portia and Luna cling to him for safety and to see what was going on.

The fear lasted a moment, Portia and Luna peeked over Lucio’s shoulders to see what had happened- meeting with Pepi’s angry face while swatting at a squawking Camio, the two of them were being followed by Melchior and Mercedes dragging a metal chain they had found in Lucio’s room and were playing with- Luna’s familiar flew right in, landing on the girl’s shoulder and picking at her feathers.

So… it had been their pets? All of them had worked together to give them a good scare- or well, they had accidentally made them feel a bad fear. Lucio frowned and pouted, not wanting to believe it- but Portia and Luna erupted into a nervous laughing fit. At least it had only been their pets! Nothing to worry about- all of them tended to their pets and made their effort to scold them for having been so awfully ominous.

Then, something knocked on their window and a distant complaint could be heard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The three of them aren't really romantically involved in this work- it's Lucio and Portia having feelings for Luna, but Luna being too busy petting every cat and dog she sees to really notice. It's not my first time writing for this disaster trio- but it's always really fun.
> 
> Also I'm already _late_ with this project- but I'm not giving up on it! I'll catch up during these weeks, though they may be shorter so I don't neglect A Mermaid's Tale. I haven't been feeling well lately- I prefer not to write and deliver sloppy writing because I'm sad, but I've been feeling better! So hopefully my creativity will work with me again!
> 
> **\- Tonatiuh.**

**Author's Note:**

> I've been very busy lately! But I've tried my best to stay active- so I'll be writing these one-shots as I keep updating my other fic and I post some other projects I've been working on.
> 
> I had never written many of these ships, as much as I love them- so they might be a bit odd at first, but they're good practice!
> 
> Thanks for your support and patience!
> 
> **\- Tonatiuh.**


End file.
